Christmas Tree Arrives at the Capitol (photos)

Christmas arrived early to the US Capitol West Lawn. The 63 foot Sierra white fir from California’s Stanislaus National Forest arrived in DC on Monday morning on November 28, following a 20-day tour across the country. The tree will eventually be decorated with more than 10,000 LED lights and some 2,000 handmade ornaments from the State of California. The lighting ceremony for the 47th Capitol Christmas tree will take place at 5 p.m. Dec. 6, led by House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). A Capitol Christmas Tree has been an American tradition since 1964. The Capitol Tree will be lit up until 11 p.m. every night through Jan. 1. In addition to the Capitol Christmas Tree, over 100 companion trees from the same forest will be placed at other Washington DC buildings, such as the Supreme Court, for the holiday season. A 19-foot fir will be set up in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian after being blessed by the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians in a Dec. 5 ceremony.